---
title: "RXM Sets a Director for the Vigilante Thriller The Gunfighter, With Mario Kassar Attached"
description: "The independent studio RXM Entertainment has tapped Patrick Perez Vidauri to direct 'The Gunfighter,' a masked-vigilante action thriller developed with guidance from veteran producer Mario Kassar and with actress Vanessa Vasquez attached as a producer."
category: "Entertainment"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/entertainment
author: "Simone Bishop"
published: 2026-07-02T03:20:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-02T03:20:00.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/rxm-sets-a-director-for-the-vigilante-thriller-the-gunfighter-with-mario-kassar
tags: ["film", "The Gunfighter", "Mario Kassar", "Vanessa Vasquez", "RXM Entertainment", "entertainment"]
---
# RXM Sets a Director for the Vigilante Thriller The Gunfighter, With Mario Kassar Attached

The independent studio RXM Entertainment has tapped Patrick Perez Vidauri to direct 'The Gunfighter,' a masked-vigilante action thriller developed with guidance from veteran producer Mario Kassar and with actress Vanessa Vasquez attached as a producer.

A veteran name from Hollywood's action heyday is lending his experience to a scrappy independent thriller.

## The announcement

RXM Entertainment has set Patrick Perez Vidauri to direct "The Gunfighter," a character-driven action film built on a dual-identity vigilante premise, [Deadline reported](https://deadline.com/2026/07/the-gunfighter-mario-kassar-vanessa-vasquez-1236972808/). The story centers on Johnny Bandit, described as a philosophy student who moonlights as a masked crusader delivering the justice he believes the legal system has failed to provide, as police close in and the public argues over whether he is an outlaw or a hero. Tom Jenkins wrote the screenplay and produces with Malek Hanna, who framed the project as "more than an action film... a character-driven adventure exploring justice versus vengeance."

## The names attached

The draw is the pedigree. Mario Kassar — the producer behind blockbusters including "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "Total Recall" and the "Rambo" films — provided guidance on the project, a notable credibility marker for an independent action feature. Vanessa Vasquez, an actress known for "National Treasure: Edge of History," is attached as a consulting producer, and the two-time Oscar nominee Habib Zargarpour is set to supervise visual effects. Vidauri, who runs the production company Migrant Filmworks and has directed independent features, said he was drawn to the "emotional complexity beneath" the film's action premise.

## What's set, and what isn't

For now, the announcement covers the creative team rather than a finished production. No distributor, start date or release window has been announced, and the lead role of Johnny Bandit has not been cast; a casting search is under way. As independent action projects go, "The Gunfighter" enters development with an unusually experienced hand in its corner — but, like most such films, with the hardest work still ahead.

## Sources

- ['The Gunfighter': RXM Entertainment vigilante movie sets Patrick Perez Vidauri to direct](https://deadline.com/2026/07/the-gunfighter-mario-kassar-vanessa-vasquez-1236972808/)